


Returning Ashe

by Swangooseduck



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Spoilers, Minor Injuries, No Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23663119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swangooseduck/pseuds/Swangooseduck
Summary: A snippet about Chapter 15 on the Golden Deer Route*Mild Spoilers*Byleth sees a former student on the battlefield and cannot bear to lose anyone else to the war.
Kudos: 10





	Returning Ashe

  
  
  


Byleth could feel her stomach lurching as she recognized one of the archers. He was taller now, his light hair swept back out of his bright green eyes. His uniform heralded him as an archer for the Farghus Dukedom--the kingdom the Empire had seen fit to bastardize, and the once proud home of so many of her precious students. 

“Teach?” Claude’s voice sounded faint and fuzzy. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Ashe…” The words tasted of the sulphur in the air, her feet already moving.

“Damn! I never tho--Teach!” 

“Warp me.” The words were a familiar flat grief. The grief she’d worn for a month after Jeralt’s death. The grief she’d felt upon finding the monastery in ruins. The grief of hearing of the deaths of Dimitri and Dedue. Not another one. Not a single victim more.

Lysthia hesitated, then dipped her head into a nod. “Be careful.” She warned.

“Wait!” Yuri caught her arm. “You’re not going to…”

Byleth didn’t respond as she looked into the Trickster’s face. He blinked, then took his hand back.

“Take me with you.”

A nod of assent.

“Together then, friend.” His beautiful face turned somber. “We’ll get him together.”

The warp rocketed them across the hellish landscape in front of her old student. Ashe tensed, his bow ready for a quick counter to her. She should have felt proud that he’d kept his lessons so well. Then again, how many of those under her banner had faced his skills? How many people were gone because of what she’d taught him?

“Professor, I don’t want to hurt you but--”

“Then put down the bow and let’s get you home,” Yuri called, clearly startling the archer.

“I...I can’t do that.” An absolute. An answer that felt like hot coals pressing into her chest. 

“Ashe…” Yuri’s voice only inflamed that pain.

Byleth gripped her blade, charging ahead. She could hear the gasp from her student as she leapt towards her lost student. He’d gotten faster--loosing the arrow on instinct. She felt it land in that burning hole over her still heart. She crashed into him, throwing her blade aside as her arms caught Ashe up into a tight hug.

“Professor…” She could hear the grief in his voice. The pain was the same as her own.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” She responded, tightening her hold. “I didn’t set a very good example…”

Arms wrapped around her body. A distant part of herself screamed about daggers in the back. But looking up past the soot smeared freckles, she could see the tears rolling from evergreen pools.

“Professor, I’m so sorry!” His head dropped to her shoulder, his sturdy frame trembling. 

“Shhhh,” She murmured. “No more tears, Ashe. You’re okay, and that’s all that matters right now.”

“But I shot you!” 

“I really have had worse,” She sighed. “And if that’s what it takes to regain my precious student--my precious  _ friend  _ \--then I’d do it all again.” The alert part of her mind acquiesced begrudgingly. This was the right thing to do. Reckless, but right.

“Good grief,” Yuri sighed as he joined them, pressing a healing hand to Byleth’s back. “You two are a sight.” His tone matched his smile as he guided them back to firmer ground.

“Yuri…” Ashe choked.

“Ready to come home, friend?” 

Ashe looked to Byleth. “Can I?”

“Absolutely,” She ruffled his silvery hair. “Welcome back, Ashe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Short fluff because I missed my kid, okay. I thought I'd lost him.


End file.
